H-O-T and Sexy

I received another set of  sexy undies from Splendies to review.  I  think that  intimate wear  subscription is a great idea because you get to  received different kinds of panties  every month.  The only thing I would say that I am not fond of is the fact that you don't know what you are getting but if you like surprises, this is the way to go.  I like boy shorts-type of underwear so I love it when they include that type in  package just like this  Vision intimate in blue.

This Hot lace  underwear is not my cup-of-tea when it comes to  undies.  I don't really feel comfortable wearing panties like this one but it's nice to  have, I can give it to a friend who might like this kind.

I like this floral Love Libby.  I always like  floral print  for undies.  Some might think that lace underwear is itchy but it's not really.  It's comfortable  and soft to your skin.

Thanks again Splendies  for this surprise  gift!

Disclaimer: The author of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review. Opinions expressed is not in anyway influenced by other factors. The product/s mentioned above was provided for FREE for evaluation purposes.

Engineered Nutrition

My husband  is using this gluten free engineered nutrition that he bought online.  This  helps him to lose weight together with his  exercise.  So far, he is down to 173 pounds now.  He started at 196 which means that he lost 23 pounds already.    He wants to  be at 160 so he still have 13 more pounds to shed off his weight.  I can tell that he is getting lean, I can see his muscles once again and his love handles are gone already.

Way to go Hon!

Budgeting for your Bathroom Renovations

Managing the bathroom budget can be the most difficult of any home renovation task due to the many special materials, challenging spaces and the need, sometimes by law, for contractors. According to the Choice Bathrooms website, the average home owner will need to set aside between $19,000 and $26,000 from their total home renovation budget just for this purpose.

The difficulty is that many bathroom renovation projects experience budget blowouts because of unexpected price increases in one area or unavoidable construction issues in another. A good way to better manage the bathroom budget is to divide your total into sections and distribute or adjust it as required. Here are some suggested budget line items to help you keep an eye on where the money is, or should be, going.

Plumbing

There are some things a home renovator, no matter how skilled or experienced, will have to place in the hands of a tradesperson. The plumbing is one of those things that, unless you hold the relevant qualifications yourself, someone else will have to do for you. Investigate the costs of plumbers in your area. How much you are going to need to set aside is going to depend on how many outlets and inlets you are going to reposition.

Electricals

As with the plumbing, only trained professionals are allowed by law to work on the electric power points in your house. Again, investigate costs of local electricians, try to estimate what you want done and how much it is going to cost, and sent aside the required amount.

Tiling

The right tiles in a bathroom can mean the difference between a mediocre, and spectacular effect. But those magnificent tiles can be costly. Take some time to pick the tiles you want. Choose carefully. Once you have chosen your ideal tiles, budget for them with a little extra in case you need to call in a professional tiler if something goes wrong.

Fixtures and fittings

This is the area where you need to show some constraint and be aware of how much money you have to spend. Quite frankly, there are some magnificent taps, shower screens, sinks and baths available but they all cost a pretty penny. It can be quite easy to overspend without even realizing it once something fancy catches your eye. Look at what is available, do the math and purchase in accordance with your limit.

Cabinetry

Finally, you have the vanity and storage space to consider. You have two possibilities here. There are many pre-made options on the market that are of good quality and sturdy construction. The other option is to hire a cabinet maker and have the vanity made to order. This is a better option if you have an unusual space and are having difficulty finding cabinetry to fit. Work out the costs of each and go with the option that suits you most.

The funding for each budgeted section can be adjusted to suit the project, moving cash from one area where money has been saved to another should additional work be required. But it is a good rule of thumb to expect the unexpected and set an additional 10 per cent aside to cover any surprise extras.

BeautyBox5 - May Edition

Before we went to California, my Beauty Box 5 for the month of May  arrived.  It was a perfect timing because I have used most of it during our trip.  I also used  the  products that I got from the previous  monthly subscription boxes.

This Harvey Prince  perfume was perfect for me to bring.  I have seen some good raves about this perfume so I was extra excited that I get to finally try it.  The floral scent  is perfect to  transition your mood from Spring to Summer.  

I don't really use mascara but I can give this MaskerAide Hydrating  Facial Sheet mask to someone I know who uses mascara.   This is perfect for a quick lunch time  facial.  It's paraben free, vegan friendly, and not at all messy.

I love this cleansing gel.  This H2O Plus  Aqualibrium Marine Cleansing Gel is great to  put your best face forward.  It is made with seasalt and  and energizing marine botanicals.  It is oil-free and  will gently exfoliates  while protecting  your cheeks from free radicals and environmental damage.

 This Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body cloths are great when you are traveling to  keep you fresh.  I used all these during our trip to California.  

Another  product that I can  learn how to use.  As you may all know, I am not a make-up-kind of  gal so I don't know a lot of beauty products but BeautyBox5 definitely  introduces me to a lot of them.

Thank you so much once again BeautyBox5!

Disclaimer: The author of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review. Opinions expressed is not in anyway influenced by other factors. The product/s mentioned above was provided for FREE for evaluation purposes.

DIY Pest Control Tips

Are you finding unwanted pests in and around your home? When it comes to maintaining a pest-free home, you can always call a professional like Trusted Pest Management, or you can try to tackle the issue yourself. There are many DIY options available, often using items around the house. Here are some tip on how to maintain a pest-free home.

For Common Pests

Ground coffee can do so much more than provide you with your morning kick-start, it can naturally repel ants. By sprinkling coffee grounds in the cracks near your windows and doors, it will provide a barricade against ants that is both effective and hardly noticeable.

For bigger pests, such as rodents, a cocktail including one tablespoon of peppermint castile soap, a dash of cayenne pepper combined with eight cups of water will keep them away from your home. Simply spray around the edges of your floors, between any floorboards, and it will work lie coffee grounds to ants.

Cockroaches need a spicier alternative to ward them away from the house—2 tablespoons of very hot sauce (such as tabasco) mixed with a litre of water and sprayed on problem areas will see them disperse in no time.

Bigger Problems

Sometimes, when dealing with pests more serious than your typical house ant, the remedy requires extra creativity. Termites, while being commonly found in many houses with wooden foundations, can cause irreparable, or costly, damage to your home. To rid your home of termites, a combination of four tablespoons of grape jam, three tablespoons of cat food and a tablespoon of a low-toxicity acid and spread over problem areas or potential nesting places, so long as these are out of reach of household pets. The worker termites will consider this food and use it as offerings for the queen and her offspring. The colony will gradually die, though the supply of the bait might need to be topped up for each batch, as well as in the warmer months when they are more likely to repopulate.

If bed bugs have decided to bite, there is a simple remedy that will let you sleep through the night. Combine a teaspoon of both peppermint and rosemary oils with two cups of water, and thoroughly spray your mattress, the floor surrounding your bed, even your sheets for good measure (before washing them).

If your pets are feeling the pain of pests, particularly fleas, you will likely find them in your home as a result. Sprinkle carpets and rugs with baking soda and salt, leaving overnight and vacuum the following day, removing fleas thoroughly. To give your pet some relief from itching and skin irritation without chemical shampoos, a few sprays of diluted lemon juice will kill any fleas and freshen their coat.

As you can see, the key to pest management can usually be found within household items. However, once a pest situation becomes severe or unmanageable, or the fixes detailed above are no longer having the same success, you are best to call a professional exterminator.

Fun, Feminine, Confident Clothing from eShakti

I was contacted sometime in April by a representative from eShakti.  She asked me if I want to write about their company and in return, they will provide me a sample as thank you. Of course I said yes, who wouldn't?  I have been seeing  many women wearing their beautiful dress but  the prices are over my price range so I can't afford to buy one lol.  Glad I have this opportunity.  Now I know the reason why  a lot of women are raving how good their  clothing are.

I am wearing a 100% color blocking cotton woven dress in size extra small.  Yeah, I am finally back to my pre-pregnancy size except I still have  some stubborn  tummy fat to lose but it isn't that bad now.  FitTea and constant  exercise really helps shed that fat out.  

What I love about eShakti is the fact that  your clothing will be tailored according to your size so it  really fits your body well.  This dress has a sipper at the side which helps  in putting it on easier.  I had fun browsing at their selection.  Although most of the ones that I really love ordering at first were not available anymore, I couldn't be happier with this one.  

I totally love this dress.  It makes me feel I am in my early 20-ish lol.  It's funny that all the  dress I am getting now, my daughter would always ask if she can have it when  she's bigger enough to wear them.  I told her  "Of course!"  Most of the dress  that I have is for younger generations anyway so I think that my daughter would enjoy wearing them.  Few more years and she can have them all!

Disclaimer: The author of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review. Opinions expressed is not in anyway influenced by other factors. The product/s mentioned above was provided for FREE for evaluation purposes.

Keratin Protein Hair Care

As the weather changes, the need of my hair  and scalp also changes.  I have to change hair care products when the season also changes. I am so glad that I received a some Keratin Protein hair care products  from Hask to review.  During Winter times, showering in a hot water  affects my hair and scalp, it makes it dry and  I sometimes have a flaky scalp.  

To address that issue I mentioned above,  the Keratin Protein Smoothing Shampoo is  the answer.  It softens and renews the hair .  Hask Keratin Protein  gives damaged and over processed hair the miracle makeover.  IT also helps in reducing frizz and blocks humidity while gently cleaning  even the most unruly hair.  It leaves your hair  shiny and smooth.  

The Keratin Protein Soothing Conditioner  is awesome.  Just like any of the conditioner I have tried before, this makes your hair totally manageable and  soft.  It revitalizes your hair and leaving it feeling awesome!

The Smoothing Shine Oil is great  for making your hair even shiner.  I like it that you can use it on wet  and dry hair.  If your hair is a little dull and frizzy, this oil right here is  great to use.

I also got this 1.75 oz Smoothing Deep Conditioner.  The difference of this one  from the  one I have mentioned above is the fact that this deep  conditioner has  an ultra restorative.  

I love the fact that these products are free from sulfates, parabens, gluten, dying alcohol and other harsh  ingredients that   damages your hair.  

Did I say that it  smells so good?  Yup it does, your hair will smell heavenly after  using these  shampoo and conditioner.  Thanks a lot Hask!

Disclaimer: The author of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review. Opinions expressed is not in anyway influenced by other factors. The product/s mentioned above was provided for FREE for evaluation purposes.

Relaxing Mother's Day

Hello there fabulous people, howdy?  I have been slacking in doing  blog-related things this week, I just don't have the motivation.  I have to concentrate on finishing some product reviews though before we fly out to California to see how  your votes  affect my daughter's Doodle4Google entry.  Whatever the result will be, THANK YOU to all of you who voted for her.  Your time is surely  appreciated.

Anyhow, how was your Mother's day Mommies? I have a very relaxing one at home.  Our daughter cooked a special breakfast for us, then we went to the church and attended mass.  

After the mass, we drove by  KMart's garden to look at some plants.  Most of my  plants did not survive the harsh Winter so I am thinking of replacing them, especially my roses.  

 Our simple adventure could not be completed without few snaps hehehe.  The prices of plants are still high-heaven so I will wait till it goes down a bit before purchasing the plants that I want.

 Then we  head out and visited  Dad to his home.  Ms. Burrito was jumping around and dancing in front of his Pap so I took some shots of her.

A relaxing Mother's day is all I wanted and I got it.

Google Shirts

The shirt with my daughter's winning design printed on it arrived last Saturday. Google sent this for my daughter to wear on Wednesday during the special assembly in school for the awarding ceremony.  The awarding is scheduled today, April 29th, Tuesday but  Ms. Burrito's  Gifted Class  teacher won't be able to attend so they asked  if they can have it on Tuesday, and Google agreed.

Anyway, she just woke up when my husband handed her the Fedex box containing the two shirts that Google  sent.  One is for adult and one is for her.  The shirt for her is so big.  It is a size small for adult which is  even bigger for my size. 

Now the shirt for adult was an XL Youth, if hubby has to accompany my daughter for the luncheon party in California in May, his size is Large so I don't know.  Hubby said I could go with  my daughter and they will  wait in the hotel until the ceremony and that's when they would go to attend and be with us.

This was the design she created  for her entry for the 6th Annual Doodle4Google  contest.  Her gifted program teacher  gave her  the form and she was very interested in it.  Her theme was about creating a cure  for cancer.

Her draw around the Google word, designed the heads of the scientists on the  two o's.  I think  she did pretty well designing it.  I hope and pray that her design gets to advance in the top 5 finalist, we will need your support/help on this.  That being said, hubby and I  set Google Analytics goals to help achieve the support that my daughter needs for her entry.

Today will start the voting process for the 50 finalists.  All their designs will be posted in Google  website for the public to cast their vote.  I hope that you will be able to help out my daughter's design and cast your vote.  She really wants to win this for her school.  As you all know, their school is a small  Catholic and private school so they don't really get full funding from the government.  We pay  tuition every year.  If she wins, Google will give the school 50k which will greatly help the school.

Please help my daughter realized her dream  of helping her school  by hopefully winning this contest.  It is a shot in the dark but  with your help,  it is possible.  The 50 designs will be  displayed at Google's website  for the public to cast their votes.  The above design is my daughter's entry, she is representing the State of West Virginia.

Warning Signs That A Divorce Is Imminent

Keeping a marriage alive requires constant attention and effort, as loving someone else doesn’t just come naturally like everyone thinks. You need to actively work to love the other person and show them that you care. Although, having the expectation that your partner will come around and love you in the way you want is a falsehood and will most likely end up in a divorce. Working together to build a relationship is one thing, but if this becomes a constant chore then it could be a sign that your compatibility has run out.

No More Commonality

When everyday arguments begin to arise out of small situations in preference and taste, this is a sign that your outer skin has worn off and that your true nature is coming out. We tend to put on a little bit of a front when first meeting people by easily agreeing with them and trying to show our best qualities and attributes. Once the 'honeymoon' stage has worn off and your true colors begin to show, the lack in common ground is an early sign that a divorce could be in the horizon. 

You Can’t Do Anything Right

If your partner begins to complain about you not calling them right away or when anything you say to them becomes an argument there is an underlying cause to this. Many times people bottle up large issues that are bothering them and will lash out at the small things when they have an opportunity. They are harboring a lot of negative emotions and this is something that should be brought out into the open and discussed to get to the root of the problem before it is too late. 

Change In Appearance

After being together for some time each person gets comfortable with the acceptance of their flaws and appearance. While a certain level of comfort is good, when a person begins to let themselves go, they are losing their desire to please and attract their partner. Just because you decided to be with someone for life, this does not mean that you shouldn’t still want to look good for them and attract them to you. This is a double edged sword in a double negative fashion. One person is losing interest and not caring for themselves, and at the same time their partner loses interest from the lack of attractiveness they once saw in their partner. 

Arguing Over The Same Subject

When you cannot find a resolution to a topic and you are both dead set on a certain issue, counseling may be in order to try and find some middle ground. If the issue is so large and your values will be altered then a divorce is probably imminent. Once people are so far apart on topics that they aren’t willing to budge on, it is almost impossible to negotiate a common understanding. Seek marriage counseling to get another party involved to avoid getting nowhere in arguments like this. 

No Intimacy

One of the easiest and most frequent signs pointing towards a divorce is a lack in intimacy. Whether this is all of the sudden or has progressed over time, your level of intimacy is a good indicator of how well the relationship is faring. It is an important aspect of being with someone and should be kept alive to keep the relationship interesting, fun and new. 

This article was authored by Nicholas Quinlan. Nick is currently pursuing his JD at Stetson University in Sanford, FL and is concentraiting in family law. In his free time, Nick likes to compose content for the divorce related website DreamsRecycled. DreamsRecycled specializes in finding a home for your old wedding items after a divorce. If you would like to learn more about Nick, you can connect with him on Google+